Children and Family Futures (CFF) provides training and technical assistance to tribes, states, counties, and community agencies to improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women, their infants and family members affected by prenatal substance exposure. Resources focus on optimal bonding, health, and well-being and assistance includes:

• Resources and education on best practices related to the treatment and care of infants, parents and their families affected by substance use
• Development of tools for collaboration and integrated case planning across the service continuum, including Plans of Safe Care required by federal legislation
• Review of tools, practice guidelines, and policy related to infants with prenatal substance exposure, their parents and family members providing insight from the fields of substance use disorder treatment, health care, child welfare, and early intervention
• Connections to experts and peers across the country to share what is working in their fields and jurisdictions

Prenatal exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs may cause a spectrum of physical and developmental challenges related to growth, behavior, cognition, executive functioning, language, and achievement.¹  Infants with prenatal exposure to opioids may experience Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, a treatable pattern of effects that are associated with opioid withdrawal in newborns. In combination with other safety and risk factors, prenatal exposure can have implications for child welfare services involvement. A range of prevention, early intervention, and treatment efforts can mitigate negative outcomes for these infants, parents and their families. Examples of these strategies include early identification and engagement of pregnant women with SUDs in treatment and services, collaborative development and implementation of a Plan of Safe Care for the infant and family/caregiver, and early engagement into developmental services for identified infants and children. The unique intersection of pregnancy and substance use creates a need for a collaborative approach bringing the expertise of many health, substance use treatment, child welfare, and early childhood providers to identify and provide intervention for the multifaceted needs of the infant, parents, caregivers, and family members.